This collection contains several official documents of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows from Montezuma, Indiana. It includes several account books, a minute book, treasury books, a roll of officers, pamphlets and booklets containing general information on the group's rules and constitution.

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Biographical or Historical Data:

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a independent political and religious organization which was founded in 1819 after breaking away from the original English branch. A fraternal order in many communities across the globe,they focus on charity, personal and social improvement. This particular collection deals with the lowest of three tiers, that of the Lodge, rather than the Encampment or Patriarch Militant.The Order was mostly active up until the American Civil War, when membership dropped significantly, but rose again until the advent of the New Deal under Franklin D. Roosevelt. Today, their headquarters are in South Carolina, and still have many active branches across the globe.

Ownership and Custodial History:

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation by Alan F. January.